PE 4283: Sport Biomechanics Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Introduction to Applied Sport Mechanics (PE 4283: Sport Biomechanics)

• Course aims to explain how the human body moves.
• Course aims to explain how mechanical principles improve athletic performance.
• Course aims to explain how mechanical principles apply to sports.
• Course aims to explain how to use sport mechanics to assess sport technique.

Chapter Organization (Part 1)

• Part 1 covers the foundations of movement in sport.
• Contains 10 chapters, starting with sport mechanics anatomy (chapter 2).
• Next topics include sport mechanics fundamentals, linear motion and kinetics, angular motion and kinetics, stability and instability, sport kinetics, and moving through fluids.

Chapter Organization (Part 2)

• Part 2 provides the application of sport mechanics.
• Includes 3 chapters focusing on applying the learned concepts: analyzing sport skills, identifying and correcting errors, and selected sport skills.

Surprising Facts on World Records

• Some records have greatly improved with modern technology while others have remained stable for decades.
• Pole vaulting records have changed significantly.
• High jump records have also seen some improvement.

How Applied Sport Mechanics Can Help

• Provides understanding of physical laws influencing athletic performance.
• Helps analyze, and immediately recognize, how athletes' movements can be improved.
• Understanding external forces that athletes encounter during performance.
• Helps analyze the efficiency of movements.

What is Applied Sport Mechanics?

• Understanding mechanical principles applied to sport and exercise.
• Aims to improve sports technique, safety, and performance.
• Biomechanics assesses forces on humans in sports.
• Biomechanics analyses forces generated by humans.
• Applications in the study of biological systems, including walking/running analysis (force application).

Level Systems (1st, 2nd, 3rd)

• Diagrams of skeletal and muscle systems, illustrating force application.

What is Applied Sport Mechanics? (Continued)

• Basic laws of force and motion apply to human movement.
• Includes linear and angular kinematics and kinetics.
• Covers concepts like forces, laws of motion, center of mass, torque, and moments of inertia.

Understanding and Quantifying Technique (Part I)

• Technique is best described by the pattern and sequence of movements, in order to perform a sport skill.
• Must distinguish between safe, mechanically correct movements and those that serve no purpose.

Advances in Equipment Require Changes in Technique

• Equipment advances often require athletes to adopt new techniques.
• Examples such as speed skating, where new blade designs call for specific changes in technique.

Understanding and Quantifying Technique (Part II)

• Skills can be categorized as either "closed" skills or "open" skills, determined by whether the environment the athlete interacts with remains constant.

• Closed skills: The environment doesn't change during the performance of the skill. Examples: discus throw.

• Open skills: The environment changes during the performance of the skill. Examples: tennis serve.

Measuring and Analyzing Technique

• Quantitative measures use numbers (e.g., speed, distance).
• Qualitative measures describe the quality of the movement using descriptive words (e.g., smooth, efficient).

Never Discount Individual Creativity and Inventiveness

• Innovations by athletes can revolutionize a sport.
• Exemplified by Graeme O'Bree's innovative cycling design that reduced air resistance and potentially improved performance despite not being legal at the time.

Teaching Good Technique

• Demonstrating good technique is helpful but not always essential.
• More crucial is identifying and correcting errors.
• Teaching progressions are key to moving novices towards more refined performance.

Summary: Applied Sport Mechanics

• Provides scientific understanding of how and why mechanical principles produce improved performance.
• Involves linear & angular kinematic analysis.
• Includes concepts of position, displacement, velocity, acceleration, linear/angular kinetics, forces, laws of motion, centre of mass, torque, and moments of inertia.

Summary: Technique

• Technique involves the pattern/sequence of movements used to perform a sport skill.
• Quantitative measures use numerical data (e.g., speed).
• Qualitative measures describe the quality/characteristics of the movement (e.g., coordination, fluidity).